Greenville basketball team eagerly awaits Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle

A team from Greenville will represent South Carolina in Unified basketball — which includes those with and without intellectual disabilities — in the USA Games in Seattle, Washington, in July.
BOB CASTELLO/STAFF

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Members of the Unified basketball team that will represent South Carolina in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games July 1-6 in Seattle, Washington, are (from left), front row, Zach Ward, Rick Green, Courtney Armstrong, Whitney Trexler and Josh Wall; and back row, Walker Griffith, Lucas Ward, Jon Barber; Jacob Ingram, Austin Hester and coach Brittany Bynum.(Photo: BOB CASTELLO/STAFF)Buy Photo

But it's basketball that has brought them and seven others together on a Unified Sports team that will represent South Carolina in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games July 1-6 in Seattle, Washington.

"I love this team," said Barber, 22, a Berea High School graduate who's been competing in Special Olympics events since he was 13.

"This team helped me meet new people, like my coach, Brittany Bynum. She's the best. We practice a lot, we work hard at it and I just love this team so much."

Bynum and her players account for 11 of the 167 people in the delegation that will represent South Carolina at the USA Games.

"That's athletes, partners, coaches and volunteers, and that's the third-largest delegation in the country behind Washington and Florida," said Josh Wall, a member of the Unified team who's been heavily involved in Area 4 (Greenville) Special Olympics since moving from North Carolina in January 2014.

"South Carolina has a really good Special Olympics program. They invest a lot in their athletes. To have a representation that big on a national level is pretty unique and awesome."

A special melting pot

For nearly two decades, Special Olympics has offered Unified Sports, competition between teams that blend people with and without intellectual disabilities. Each Unified basketball team is comprised of 10 players: five Unified partners and five athletes, the latter the Special Olympians.

"The idea is for the non-special needs athletes and the athletes who have special needs to play together, and you're not supposed to be able to tell the difference in their skill levels," said Bynum, a 2009 Mauldin High School graduate and an All-Greenville County basketball player for the Mavericks.

"There are some athletes who are awesome. They 100 percent know what's going on. And the partners help pick up the slack for the ones who are a little bit further behind."

The rules call for two partners and three athletes on the court at all times, but there are no restrictions as far as how the game is played. Bynum went through training in August to become a certified Special Olympics coach, and she had to rate each player on categories such as awareness, dribbling and shooting and then submitted a team score.

"Typically everybody is pretty fair and equitable on how they score," Wall said. "You don't want to overrate your players, and then they go to competition and get creamed, but you also don't want to underrate your players and then have no competition."

It also helps that the partners have to have been previously involved in Special Olympics state events. That eliminates the possibility of plucking five ringers off the street.

The teams that are making the trip to Seattle are chosen randomly after having competed in previous Special Olympics events. This group was chosen after competing in the state event last summer. Bynum and Wall were informed in July; the others found out in September. They've been practicing since January.

"We've got a lot of people to represent," Griffith said. "It's definitely sinking in what we're going to be doing, and I'm definitely looking forward to it."

'A humbling experience'

Griffith, a 2008 Eastside graduate, has been involved with Special Olympics for two years, but his mother and brother are involved with respite care — temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult — so he's had a feel for it for much longer.

When he was 18, Griffith's summer job was taking care of a man with cerebral palsy, "a humbling experience." In addition, Griffith's mother has had a long-time respite job with the younger brother of one of his best friends.

"Looking back, I wish I'd have done this in high school, because Eastside has a really good special needs program," Griffith said. "I get just as much out of it as they do. Just forming that bond, hanging out with them before and after practices and getting to know everybody is fun. These kids are great.

"And they're awesome at basketball. I play a lot of pickup at the (YMCA), and a lot of these guys could hang with us."

Among the athletes, Jacob Ingram, at 30 the oldest member of the team, is the most experienced basketball player. Rick Green has at least seven years experience playing basketball and is also an accomplished swimmer.

Zach Ward, at 19 the youngest, is one of three athletes — Barber and Courtney Armstrong are the others — who will be flying for the first time.

"I might be scared," Barber said with a laugh. "But I know it's going to be so much fun."

Zach Ward's older brother is on the team; Lucas Ward played club rugby at Furman University.

Rounding out the Unified partners is Austin Hester, who played mostly baseball growing up, but is more of a musician, Bynum said with a smile.

"We all have jobs or are in school, but it's great to be able to give your time and hang out with these guys and watch them grow," said Wall, who played baseball when he was younger and still plays competitive softball and volleyball.

"We've been working with some of them for years, but even just since we've been training for USA Games back in January to now, to come together as a team, it's pretty cool."

The team has had a taste of competition, playing in the Greenville Area 4 tournament in mid-February along with the state tournament in April.

"But Seattle will be the big test," Wall said.

"There will be a lot of flashing lights on us when we play," said Griffith, adding with a grin, "so hopefully we can remain calm and remember what we're doing out there."